Hynes keeping busy while out of Super Rugby

Reds veteran Peter Hynes experiences the business of Rugby Queensland Reds veteran winger Peter Hynes is experiencing the other side of Rugby away from the field while he continues to make significant strides in his recovery from major knee surgery.

During his rehabilitation, Queensland Rugby has brought Hynes into the organisation so he can further develop his knowledge of the business of sport as part of its player wealth and wellbeing program.

Hynes is keen to learn the other side of Rugby and is working with the Queensland Rugby Commercial Team as a Business Development Executive while also completing his daily rehab.

Hynes, 29, is working closely with sponsors and corporate partners to ensure they are engaged and benefiting from their association with Queensland Rugby.

Hynes entered last season with severe bone bruising in his right knee resulting from cartilage degeneration and was forced to miss all but the opening two matches of the Reds 2011 Super Rugby success.

The discomfort from the injury forced Hynes to leave the field midway through the Reds round two encounter against the NSW Waratahs and after months of subsequent treatment without achieving his desired goal of returning to action, Hynes made a 'lifestyle decision' to undergo a radical surgery which involved three major operations to guarantee he wouldn't experience severe pain or have any limitations in his knee later in life.

Highly respected surgeon Doctor Peter Myers was responsible for completing the innovative surgery which saw Hynes undergo, in one session, a posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; a high tibia Osteotomy, whereby his leg was broken and re-aligned; and a donor meniscus transfer.

The surgery will see Hynes miss the 2012 Super Rugby season as he continues to rehabilitate his knee under the guidance of Queensland Rugby's medical staff.

"The surgery was a lifestyle decision, not a Rugby decision," Hynes said.

"I wanted to make sure I was capable of kicking the footy around in the park with my daughter many years from now.

"I don't have any expectations at the moment and there is no timeframe for returning to Rugby, it's just about ticking each rehabilitation box as it comes along.

"Basically my injury was a degeneration of cartilage where I had no cartilage left in my knee, meaning bone was rubbing on bone. "I reached a point where my knee could no longer function at the level required to play elite sport so I made a decision that would ensure it could function properly for the remainder of my life."

Hynes says he is enjoying corporate life where he is taking on a key role in Queensland Rugby's new Reds TV project, designed to bring loyal supporters even closer to the Reds by delivering exclusive access to the inner sanctum of the team.

"I've always been keen to learn how the business behind Rugby works and the experience has been extremely beneficial," Hynes said.

"It's a great organisation to be involved with and there are a lot of great people within it, so I'm looking forward to gaining as much experience as I can, in a field I'm passionate about.

"The reality is only a select group of players take full advantage of the commercial opportunities available to them so it's my job to educate them further in this space."

The Queensland Reds membership target of 30,000 continues to near with only 3239 more members needed to reach the target before the season kicks off against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on February 25.

Full season memberships are a cheaper alternative to individual match tickets and start at just $65, which includes a special edition members-only DVD of the 2011 Super Rugby Final, which is unavailable for retail purchase and contains never-before seen footage, and a 126-page 2012 season guide.

In 2012 the Reds are out to win back-to-back championships with the upcoming Queensland Reds Fan Day on February 18 from 11:00am-2:00pm at Ballymore the perfect opportunity for fans to meet and take photos with their favourite players before the season commences.